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machacar

mah-chah-kar/matʃaˈkaɾ/

to crush, to mash

Also: to pound
VerbA2regular with spelling change ar
A wooden pestle crushing cloves of garlic inside a stone mortar.
gerundmachacando
past Participlemachacado
infinitivemachacar

📝 In Action

Tienes que machacar el ajo con un poco de sal.

A2

You have to mash the garlic with a bit of salt.

Machacaron las piedras para construir el camino.

B1

They crushed the stones to build the path.

Me machaqué el dedo con el martillo.

B2

I crushed/smashed my finger with the hammer.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • triturar (to grind/shred)
  • aplastar (to squash/flatten)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • machacar el ajo – to mash the garlic
  • machacar a golpes – to beat to a pulp

to cram, to study intensely

VerbB1regular with spelling change arinformal
Spain
A person sitting at a desk piled high with books, focused intensely on reading.
gerundmachacando
past Participlemachacado
infinitivemachacar

📝 In Action

He estado machacando los verbos toda la tarde.

B1

I've been hitting the verbs hard all afternoon.

Tengo que machacar para el examen de mañana.

B1

I have to cram for tomorrow's exam.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • empollar (to cram (Spain))
  • estudiar (to study)

Antonyms

  • vaguear (to laze around)

Common Collocations

  • machacar los libros – to hit the books hard
  • machacar un tema – to study a topic inside out

to harp on, to pester

VerbB2regular with spelling change arinformal
A small bird chirping persistently at a larger, annoyed-looking bird on a tree branch.
gerundmachacando
past Participlemachacado
infinitivemachacar

📝 In Action

Deja de machacarme con lo mismo siempre.

B2

Stop harping on about the same thing to me all the time.

Mi jefe me está machacando con el informe.

B2

My boss is pestering me about the report.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • insistir (to insist)
  • dar la lata (to bug someone)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • machacar con una idea – to keep harping on about an idea

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesmachacaran
yomachacara
túmachacaras
vosotrosmachacarais
nosotrosmachacáramos
él/ella/ustedmachacara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesmachaquen
yomachaque
túmachaques
vosotrosmachaquéis
nosotrosmachaquemos
él/ella/ustedmachaque

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesmachacaron
yomachaque
túmachacaste
vosotrosmachacasteis
nosotrosmachacamos
él/ella/ustedmachacó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesmachacaban
yomachacaba
túmachacabas
vosotrosmachacabais
nosotrosmachacábamos
él/ella/ustedmachacaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesmachacan
yomachaco
túmachacas
vosotrosmachacáis
nosotrosmachacamos
él/ella/ustedmachaca
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "machacar" in Spanish:

to cram→to crush→to mash→to pester→to pound→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: machacar

Question 1 of 3

Which form of 'machacar' is correct for 'I crushed' in the past?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
machacón(insistent/annoying person) — Noun
machacado(crushed/exhausted) — Adjective
machacadura(a bruise/crush mark) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Likely of onomatopoeic origin, imitating the sound of hitting something (mach). It is also related to the Spanish word 'macho', which historically referred to a large mallet or sledgehammer.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: machucar

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between machacar and aplastar?

'Machacar' usually involves hitting something to break it into pieces or a paste (like garlic), while 'aplastar' just means to flatten something by pressure (like stepping on a can).

Is 'machacar' used in Latin America?

Yes, but mostly for the physical sense of crushing. The meaning of 'studying hard' is much more common in Spain.

Can 'machacado' be used as an adjective?

Yes! If you say 'Estoy machacado', it means 'I am exhausted' or 'I am worn out'.